> Sarasate: Music for Violin and Orchestra, Vol. 3. Tianwa Yang (violin), Navarra Symphony Orchestra. Naxos CD.
This is the third disc issued featuring the brilliant young Chinese violinist Yang, who plays with fearless freshness and an expressive technique that is flawless.
The programme includes two wonderful opera fantasies that deserve to be in more live concerts: Concert Fantasy on Mozart's "Magic Flute," Op.54 and New Fantasy on Gounod's "Faust", Op.13. Other briefer pieces include Navarra, scored for two violins, with both parts played by Yang.
She was a child prodigy, like Sarasate, and plays the composer's own Vuillaume violin, borrowed from the Sarasate Museum, Pamplona.
Highlights: showpieces, fiery fingering and bowing pyrotechnics.
> Auckland Town Hall Organ. John Wells (organ). Atoll CD.
The 10 tracks demonstrate New Zealand's largest organ's enormous dynamic and timbral range to good effect, whether punching out 100 decibels at the podium or rippling the softest tones.
Greatest delights for me were the Buxtehude Prelude in G minor, Liszt's Variations on "Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen" and Yamanouchi's Poemes pour Orgue.
The whole programme is an excellent introduction to this fine new instrument. Full marks for the booklet with programme notes and organ specifications.
Highlight: an excellent set of 5291 pipes, frequency range 8 to 17,000Hz.
